Wine Wanders in Ontario - May 4-11, 2017

After a few days home taking care of various commitments and planning some others,
we have decided to wander back into Ontario with a target of reacquainting ourselves with
some of our favourite Niagara wineries. On our way we plan to stop in Mississauga to celebrate
Lillian's brother's birthday.

We have some appointments on May 15th so we need to be back by then. Otherwise, as is our habit,
serendipity is our guide!

Day 1 - May 4, 2017 - Back Down the 401

We spent most of the morning doing various things around the house. Rod had picked up a small
Master Chef® Portable Gas BBQ
at Canadian Tire for $44.99 instead of the usual $89.99 which we hope will work
well with the Roadtrek adaptor hose. The only problem is that significant assembly was required.
p>
Around the time we finished that and a few other activities, Rod's aunt and uncle stopped by
to drop a couple of things off before we hit the road.
They were feeling a bit down due to the very recent loss of an old friend so
we decided pop down to
Café Le Den
for a bowl of soup and a bit of a visit. There is something soothing about
a good bowl of homemade soup.

We finally finished packing and set off from home about 2:30 PM. We had a couple of quick stops
to make before hitting the road so we decided to target the
1000 Islands / Kingston KOA so we popped in a quick reservation
using the KOA app on Rod's tablet.

We got there just as the office was closing but they had our late arrival
ready so we were able to grab it and get settled before the expected rain
really set in. It turns out we were beside another Roadtrek - a Simplicity
SRT. It is a
CanaDream
rental with Alberta plates. We have all been hiding from the "monsoons" so
there has been no chance to chat.

We rustled up a snack from the galley and just relaxed after a couple of busy days.

The Numbers For Today

Day 2 - May 5, 2017 - Moving West

As expected we woke to swamp land after a night of heavy rain. We still had another day of
"monsoons" to look forward to. Our theory was that the weather was moving east so if we moved
west we might enjoy less of it.

We took our time getting ready. We had a nice breakfast out of the galley to
go with Lillian's usuall superb pot of coffee. We finally hit the road about
9:45.

We took the 401 until we passed Cobourg then turned north on 28 to pick up route 7
(the TransCanada highway at the point) with the intent of passing north over Toronto.
Somewhere near Oakwood we pulled into Franks Cafe & Restautant. It was a basic "Mom & Pop" place
recently taken over by a new couple. The seemed to be well patronized by locals.
Rod had a corned beef sandwich on the recommendation of someone at the next
table and Lillian tried the chicken wings that were on special. Both were
excellent!

Once the TransCanada changed its loyalty to route 12 heading for Orillia we picked up
route 48 to pass below Lake Simcoe. As we worked our way along we decided to
check out
Toronto North / Cookstown KOA to see if they had any available sites that
were "above water".
We arrived about 15:30 and the young lady at the registration gave us a map and
let us in to drive around an pick a site since she was not sure which were surviving
best. We took a tour around and picked site 51 which seemed passable and was a
water/electric drive through site that should be simple in cruddy conditions.

We booked the site for a night then head back to the
Tanger Outlet Mall
that Lillian spotted on the way in. Around the
time we arrived at the mall we heard from Lillian's brother in Mississauga
wondering where we were and where we were heading. We updated him
on our location and that our current plan was to head for Niagara in the
morning since the temperature was supposed to drop and we thought a
shift south into wine country would be judicious. He mentioned that they
might meet us there. We left it at that.
After some shopping where some bits were
purchased we decided to treat our selves to an indoor dinner. A bit of
checking showed there was a
https://www.redlobster.ca/
Red Lobster
restaurant in Barrie so we headed there since we were ready for some
seafood. We also like to occasionally pop into a Red Lobster to see
how they were making out since they left Quebec about 20 years ago. Our last sample
was in Virginia last November. We don't learn. We made a meal out of some
appetizers and a bottle of wine. While it filled the need, it was not
that impressive.

By the time we got back to camp the rain had let up quite a bit but things were still
pretty soggy. We set up quickly, got the heat on, poured a drink (actually a cup of tea
for "the dutchess") and relaxed. While I (Rod) did not think I would get this caught up, it seems
that I did.

The Numbers For Today

Day 3 - May 6, 2017 - South To Niagara

We got moving about 8:00 and slowly packed up while we drank our coffee. We heard
from Robert & Annie about 8:50 to confirm that they would be meeting us in
Niagara and to confirm where were were staying.
We told them we were targeting the
Niagara Falls KOA at 8625 Lundy's Lane. Since we were moving about 1-2 hours
ahead, we suggested that they text or call when they arrived.

We hit the road about 9:22 and made our way to Niagara Falls. The traffic was not
too bad for a Saturday morning. It was raining but mostly pretty lightly with some breaks
and some heavier. We made it to the KOA without incident and checked in for a night.
Things were pretty soggy but workable. We were set up by about 12:30 so we just enjoyed
some down time for an hour or so.

The rain had let up a bit so "the boys" decided to go for a walk. Just as we got
to the office we saw R&A pull up. We put Weston back in the Roadtrek and picked up
Lillian and headed off.

We made a brief stop at the Comfort Inn up the street for R&A to grab a room then it was
off to the wineries.

The first stop was
Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery.
We were familiar with some of their wines from the SAQ and LCBO but we (R&L) had never
been to the winery so we were interested in exploring some of the wines that
we have not previously met. We had a nice chat with the folks there, did some
tasting and were accompanied out by several bottles.

At Robert's suggestion our next stop was
Hernder Estate Wines.
They are not available through the LCBO but their products are good and
reasonably priced. Again, we did some sampling and chatting and again some
bottles followed us home. We will have to stop back there again!

Our final stop was
Tawse Winery
which was almost next door. Again, and interesting visit but we were
probably getting a bit "tasted out". It was almost 6 PM so we headed
back to walk Weston then head to dinner.

Dinner was planned for
Lucky's Steakhouse at Casino Niagara where were to enjoy
their famous prime rib. We enjoyed some of the casino entertainment
for a bit then head down to dinner at Lucky's about 8:15. Dinner
met expectations but we were disappointed to hear that the restaurant was being
closed in a month or so since they were reworking the casino to appeal
to a younger crowd. After another short shot at the games we headed back
to camp. The good news is that we all came out slightly ahead.

The Numbers For Today

Day 4 - May 7, 2017 - More Niagara

We woke up to slightly less soggy than bedtime. We slowly started packing up while
enjoying our usual cup of coffee. Annie called about 9:15. We told her that we would
meet them at the hotel and that we would be leaving in about 1/2 hour.

We actually set out at 9:45 after texting "Wagons ho" to R&A. We met them at
the hotel and decided to break our fast at the attached IHOP. While it
"filled the hole" it reminded us why we avoid IHOPs - expensive and unimpressive.

Lillian wanted to visit
Peller Estates Winery which has been one of her long
time favourite spots. She especially wanted to see if she could get one
of their cookbooks from the restautant since her old signed copy appears
to be on extended / permanent loan.

The girls did a bit of shopping and tasting while Rod celebrated the lack
of rain by taking Weston for a tour of the grounds. While the girls were
tasting and chatting someone mentioned that we should try the Cabernet Franc
at
Two Sisters Vineyards which was the next estate over. Lillian headed over
with R&A while Rod went to "feed the Roadtrek" before he joined them.
We actually were not impressed with the value of the Franc. It was decent but
very pricy.

Since we were so close we decided to enjoy the lack of rain by exploring around
Niagara On The Lake. We arranged to meet at the parking behind the Prince
of Wales Hotel. Once there we put enough coin into the box for 2 hours then
we set off along Queen Street. It is a well designed shopping town - lots of
"husband benches" along the way.

After about 90 minutes the girls declared the shops suitably explored so we headed
back to the parking. Since we had a bit of time on the meter we popped in to
Balzac's Coffee for a cuppa joe. We agreed to meet back at R&A's in
Mississauga.

We arrived there about 5:15 PM after an uneventful drive. We found a spot to
park the Roadtrek where the trees are not too low or messy.

Dinner was planned for
Lucy's Sea Cove & Oyster Bar which is an evolution of Lucy's Seafood Kitchen
that goes back to the mid 1990's. A good meal overall but not quite up to the
days of Lucy and Len. Lillian's clam chowder seemed to have half a bottle of
sage in it and all rice was barely warm. It is a
complete mystery what sage was doing in clam chowder anyway.
Everything else was decent or better.

Back to R&A's for more chat before retiring.

The Numbers For Today

Day 5 - May 8, 2017 - Robert's Birthday

A most leisurely day. We have been mostly sitting around chatting while Annie has kept us
well fed. Rod has been catching up the blog and culling, cropping and correcting the pictures
from the last few days.

After much discussion between Annie, Robert and Samantha it was decided that the birthday would
be at
Daisho Momofuku
on University Street in downtown Toronto to make it easier for Sam who was working today. A
good and interesting meal was shared by all. We got caught in the Blue Jays traffic on the way
home.

The Numbers For Today

Day 6 - May 9, 2017 - Back On The Road

By 9:00 AM we were slowly packing up to hit the road again for a leisurely
wander home. We managed to set off by 10:00 with an initial target of
The Best Little Pork Shoppe in
Shakespeare, ON.

We made it without incident or excitement. Rod went in to buy some smoked pork
chops and some frozen sausage. Lillian headed to a "shop" next door which was
not in much operation but fell into a conversation with the owners of the property
who were now somewhat retired and wandering as well. We learned a lot of local history
and shared some wandering experience and plans. Lillian mentioned she was heading into
Statford to visit and favourite chocolate shop. She was told that there had been some
ownership and recipe changes and that
Chocolate Barr's Candies
was the place for chocolate in the old tradition.

Before heading on to Stratford, Lillian wanted to stop at
Shakespeare Pies so she could buy some soap. We did and she did.

Since the day was sliding on, we decided to work our way to
Barrie KOA
where we planned to spend the night. We got there about 4:30 PM and, after
walking around a bit, we got some wood and lit a fire. While we burned
enough wood for a cooking fire we opened one of our bottles of
wine from our Niagara wanders and enjoyed a dry evening. We eventually cooked
the smoked pork chops over the fire for a fine dinner.

After that it was some music, books, blog updates and a generally relaxing evening.

The Numbers For Today

Day 7 - May 10, 2017 - Heading Back East

We pulled ourselves together and hit the road about 9:00 after dumping
the "ugly tanks". Our basic plan was to head over the top of Lake Simcoe via
Orillia then head to Rice Lake. Also on our plan was the need to get gas - both gasoline
and propane - and to return a heater Rod had purchased at Canadian Tire after our dinner
at Red Lobster a few days earlier. It had worked for one night the progressively stopped
heating well and started making a lot of noise.

Given where we camped, we headed for the same Canadian Tire in Barrie that we had purchased
the disappointing unit. Rod popped in and returned it. That part was smooth but the gasses were
more of a problem since the station there was being renovated so they supplied neither.
On the other hand we found
The Breakfast House
where we popped in for a decent breakfast.

We moved on to Costco where we filled up about $0.06 cheaper than most around. No luck on
the LP gas though.

At that point we headed back north to Orillia and from there we picked up
the TransCanada (12 then 7) heading back east. Somewhere near Peterborough
we popped in to
Great Canadian RV
and got directions to an LP gas dealer. As we left there we spotted
Smokey Joe's Butcher Shop And Market
where we popped in to resuply our protein reserves.
We then headed on to the recommended propane source where we
topped up that tank.

Back on the road again we headed for the
Golden Beach Resort
which was the first rv park we had ever used with our Roadtrek. On the way we snacked on
some hot dogs and fries at a chip stand.

We arrived about 3:30 PM and checked in for a night. We were delighted to see that
their restaurant "The Boathouse" was operating so we booked dinner at 6:45 PM.

Lillian wanted to snooze a bit so "The Boys" went for a walk then Rod dragged out
the mat and brushes to groom Weston on the picnic table as is our tradition on the road.
He was a bit past due since Sunday is usually grooming day but the picnic tables
to date had been a bit "damp".

After a decent dinner at the Boat House we relaxed for the rest of the evening.